Have you been dedicated to a specific sport for many years
now? Are you a member of your high school team, as well as the local travel or
elite team? Have you thought about playing a sport in college? These are all
questions that I had answered yes to a little over three years ago. Since then
I have learned many things about playing a sport in college, and I’m here to
share them with you!
I ended up where I am today mostly because of my love for a
game. I had come to the conclusion that I wanted to play soccer in college, but
I also wanted to attend a small private school and study Communications and
Sport Management. Luckily for me all of these pieces fit together at one
college, but unfortunately the same can’t be said for everyone, so be prepared
to let one trump the other if necessary in your final decision. I know that
every single book or article you read will tell you to never let sports dictate
your college decision, but I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to make it your
starting point. After all, it may be all that you’ve ever known!
As an experienced high school athlete you will most likely
start to see emails from college coaches at the beginning of your junior year.
Don’t put any aside! Take the time to research each school and give them a
chance. You never know, a school you’ve never heard of could be the perfect fit
for you. Email the coaches back and plan a time to go on an overnight visit
with your chosen sports team. This will allow you a full 24-hour experience to see
the college, learn about all that it has to offer and see if you fit in with
the team. You’ll know the right college immediately when everything clicks
during those 24 hours, I promise. If the first overnight doesn’t work out,
don’t let it get to you, just keep planning them until you find the right fit
for you.
Once you have decided what college you will attend and play
a sport at, it is time to start religiously checking your email. You will start
to receive numerous emails from your coach and the college’s athletic office
about forms that need completing before you attend a preseason and play there.
Don’t let these emails and forms pile up! Coaches will notice your
responsibility and be grateful that you took the time to do what you needed to
play for them in the near future. Most coaches will also send you a workout
packet if your sport starts in the fall. The number-one piece of advice I can
give is to follow that packet! When I received mine I almost shed a tear over
the 40 pages set in front of me, but I broke it down day by day and really
impressed the coaches with my physical fitness on the first day of preseason.
That packet will be the first thing you dedicate yourself to
as a soon-to-be college athlete. Get used to this now, as your commitment level
will only increase when you attend college and your sports season starts up.
Prepare yourself to master time management skills with classes, homework,
practices, and games. But don’t let this scare you! You’ve probably got a great
time management base as a high school athlete, so keep those tools and habits
that you have acquired and tweak them as you see necessary at your college.
Most of all, be sure that you are 100-percent dedicated to
playing a sport in college. It demands a lot of time and commitment, but if you
love playing the sport it will all be worth it in the end! Being a collegiate
athlete isn’t for everyone, and there are always other options, such as
recreational and JV teams! Stay tuned to read about some of those options in my
upcoming posts! You can also follow my posts on the Next Step U blog at http://nextstepu.wordpress.com/ for
more college planning information and tips to playing a college sport!
- Krista Pilla
Next Step U
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